A framework for the selection of the right nuclear power plant

Civil nuclear reactors are used for the production of electrical energy. In the nuclear industry vendors propose several nuclear reactor designs with a size from 35–45 MWe up to 1600–1700 MWe. The choice of the right design is a multidimensional problem since a utility has to include not only financial factors as levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) and internal rate of return (IRR), but also the so called “external factors” like the required spinning reserve, the impact on local industry and the social acceptability. Therefore it is necessary to balance advantages and disadvantages of each design during the entire life cycle of the plant, usually 40–60 years. In the scientific literature there are several techniques for solving this multidimensional problem. Unfortunately it does not seem possible to apply these methodologies as they are, since the problem is too complex and it is difficult to provide consistent and trustworthy expert judgments. This paper fills the gap, proposing a two-step framework to choosing the best nuclear reactor at the pre-feasibility study phase. The paper shows in detail how to use the methodology, comparing the choice of a small-medium reactor (SMR) with a large reactor (LR), characterised, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (2006), by an electrical output respectively lower and higher than 700 MWe

Financing Capture Ready Coal-Fired Power Plants in China by Issuing Capture Options

‘Capture Ready’ is a design concept enabling fossil fuel plants to be retrofitted more economically with carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) technologies, however financing the cost of capture ready can be problematic, especially in the developing world. We propose that fossil fuel plants issue tradable Capture Options to acquire financing. The Capture Option concept could move CCS forward politically in countries such as China, speed up CCS technology development, help Capture Ready investors diversify risk, and offer global warming investors an alternative investment opportunity. As a detailed case study, we assess the value of a Capture Option and Capture Ready plant for a 600 MW supercritical pulverized coal power plant in China, using a cash flow model with Monte-Carlo simulations. The gross value of Capture Ready varies from CNY3m ($0.4m) to CNY633m ($84.4m) at an 8% discount rate and the Capture Option is valued at CNY113m ($15.1m) to CNY1255m ($167.3m) for two of the four scenarios analyzed

Optimizing the Structure and Scale of Urban Water Infrastructure: Integrating Distributed Systems

Large-scale, centralized water infrastructure has provided clean drinking water, wastewater treatment, stormwater management and flood protection for U.S. cities and towns for many decades, protecting public health, safety and environmental quality. To accommodate increasing demands driven by population growth and industrial needs, municipalities and utilities have typically expanded centralized water systems with longer distribution and collection networks. This approach achieves financial and institutional economies of scale and allows for centralized management. It comes with tradeoffs, however, including higher energy demands for longdistance transport; extensive maintenance needs; and disruption of the hydrologic cycle, including the large-scale transfer of freshwater resources to estuarine and saline environments.While smaller-scale distributed water infrastructure has been available for quite some time, it has yet to be widely adopted in urban areas of the United States. However, interest in rethinking how to best meet our water and sanitation needs has been building. Recent technological developments and concerns about sustainability and community resilience have prompted experts to view distributed systems as complementary to centralized infrastructure, and in some situations the preferred alternative.In March 2014, the Johnson Foundation at Wingspread partnered with the Water Environment Federation and the Patel College of Global Sustainability at the University of South Florida to convene a diverse group of experts to examine the potential for distributed water infrastructure systems to be integrated with or substituted for more traditional water infrastructure, with a focus on right-sizing the structure and scale of systems and services to optimize water, energy and sanitation management while achieving long-term sustainability and resilience

Report of the Department of Administration pursuant to Section 9 of the joint resolution (A95, R113, H4287) regarding the South Carolina Public Service Authory

The report that follows is at its core a discussion about the future of Santee Cooper and how it can be best positioned to serve the interests of its customers, the taxpayers of South Carolina, and the State of South Carolina itself. The abandonment by Santee Cooper in 2017 of Units 2 and 3 of the Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Generating Station left the State with a $4 billion problem--namely, how to provide relief to Santee Cooper’s retail and wholesale customers burdened by the payments on debt incurred for a costly power plant that would never provide them with electricity. In drafting the Joint Resolution, the General Assembly charged the South Carolina Department of Administration and its outside advisors with considering three paths to solve this problem: Analyze a plan by Santee Cooper for its reform, restructuring, and changes in its operations; Conduct a competitive process seeking proposals for third-party management of Santee Cooper in lieu of its sale; and · Conduct a competitive process seeking bids for a sale of some or all of the assets of Santee Cooper

Siting Power Plants: Recent Experience in California and Best Practices in Other States

Compares California's power plant siting with results in other states. Includes interviews with California state agency representatives, developers and process mediators. Part of a series of research reports that examines energy issues facing California

Value-driven partner search for <i>Energy from Waste</i> projects

Energy from Waste (EfW) projects require complex value chains to operate effectively. To identify business partners, plant operators need to network with organisations whose strategic objectives are aligned with their own. Supplier organisations need to work out where they fit in the value chain. Our aim is to support people in identifying potential business partners, based on their organisation’s interpretation of value. Value for an organisation should reflect its strategy and may be interpreted using key priorities and KPIs (key performance indicators). KPIs may comprise any or all of knowledge, operational, economic, social and convenience indicators. This paper presents an ontology for modelling and prioritising connections within the business environment, and in the process provides means for defining value and mapping these to corresponding KPIs. The ontology is used to guide the design of a visual representation of the environment to aid partner search

Canada's Nuclear Crossroads: Steps to a Viable Nuclear Energy Industry

Canada is at an energy and environmental crossroad. Fossil fuels cause environmental damage and the growth potential of large-scale hydroelectricity is limited. Policymakers are reconsidering the merits of nuclear power as both a low-carbon emitting and low-cost base load electricity source. While nuclear power may look like an attractive option, nuclear power must overcome problems such as the high and uncertain cost of construction, dealing with nuclear waste, reactor licensing and regulation, and the future of Canada’s nuclear reactor builder, Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL), a federal Crown corporation.economic growth and innovation, energy and environmental policy

Wood Products and Carbon Storage: Can Increased Production Help Solve the Climate Crisis?

This report draws on a variety of sources to illuminate the greenhouse gas impacts of wood products and wood biomass fuels throughout their life-cycles. While detailed analyses are rare, the picture is complete enough to show the variability of the processing path followed by different types of trees in various parts of the country. Taking the entire life-cycle of these products into account, it becomes clear that an increased use of wood fuels and lumber will have very little net effect on climate change. To the contrary, the impact is as likely to be negative as positive.The report also takes a closer look at the use of forest-carbon offsets in voluntary or regulatory programs. Because such offsets are expected to balance emissions from other sources, it is important that the additional carbon sequestration be real. This document outlines several criteria for carbon offset standards to account for the full effects of harvested wood carbon